Obama to make statement on Egypt in next few minutes; Update: Calls for “concrete steps” towards reform; Update: WaPo calls on Obama to break with Mubarak; Update: Video added

posted at 6:29 pm on January 28, 2011 by Allahpundit

Here’s your thread to comment if you’re watching; I’ll have the clip up as soon as it’s available if you’re not. I assume he’s going to try to say something while saying nothing at all, but the fact that he waited until after Mubarak spoke has me wondering. Is he going to respond to Mubarak’s address? Announce the suspension of U.S. aid? Anything he says or does against the regime now will send a huge signal to protesters and the military, needless to say.

While we wait, here’s Richard Engel of MSNBC explaining why, no matter what The One says, goodwill towards the U.S. will be hard to come by.

Update: The Journal reports that Mubarak’s speech was pre-recorded. Hmmmm.

Update: Indeed, he said nothing at all. He asked police not to use violence against peaceful protesters, asked protesters not to use violence to make their point, then said that he’d spoken to Mubarak by phone and urged him to take “concrete steps” towards social, political, and economic reforms. A money line: We’re committed to working with “the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people” to that end, which is probably as clear as he can be at this point that we support Mubarak retaining power. Long story short, if you were expecting him to come out and say that Mubarak firing the government wasn’t good enough, you’re out of luck.

Update: If you’re under the impression that sending out the army is standard operating procedure in Egypt, think again. They haven’t been used against protesters in 25 years:

The deployment of army tanks and forces rolled across Egypt late Friday—its first on the streets of the Arab world’s most-populous nation since 1986—appeared to signal a critical power shift away from Mr. Mubarak. Some analysts said the deployment represented a point of no return.

“It means that the military is more in charge than Mubarak, and now there is a lot of uncertainty about who is in charge in Egypt and who is giving orders,” said Issandr al-Amrani, a Cairo-based analyst and blogger.

Update: Oddly enough, a top Iranian fundamentalist is pretty darned stoked about what’s going on in Egypt.

“In my opinion, the Islamic Republic of Iran should see these events without exception in a positive light,” said Mohammad-Javad Larijani, secretary general of the Iranian High Council for Human Rights and one of the most outspoken figures among Iran’s traditional conservatives…

“I am more optimistic about Egypt,” Mr. Larijani said in comments published Friday on the Web site Khabar Online, which is closely linked to his brother, Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran’s Parliament.

“There, Muslims are more active in political agitation and, God willing, they will establish the regime that they want,” Mohammad-Javad Larijani said.

Some here have even echoed the pan-Islamic rhetoric of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

To question, as Mr. Biden did, whether the protesters’ demands are “legitimate” is particularly obtuse. In fact, the leaders of the uprising, including former U.N. nuclear official Mohamed ElBaradei, have set forward a moderate and democratic platform. They seek the lifting of a hated emergency law that outlaws even peaceful political assembly; the right to freely organize political parties; and changes to the constitution to allow free democratic elections. Their platform could transform Egypt, and the Middle East, for the better. But the precondition for change is Mr. Mubarak’s departure from office.

Rather than calling on an intransigent ruler to implement “reforms,” the administration should be attempting to prepare for the peaceful implementation of the opposition platform. It should be reaching out to Mr. ElBaradei – who Friday was reported to be under house arrest – and other mainstream opposition leaders. And it should be telling the Egyptian army, with no qualification, that the violent suppression of the uprising will rupture its relationship with the United States.

Ok, seems like a narrative is beginning to form. A Brookings institute fellow is on FOX News saying that we should be seeking for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end. The WaPo saying the same. And on CNN John Kerry is calling for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end.

Ok, seems like a narrative is beginning to form. A Brookings institute fellow is on FOX News saying that we should be seeking for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end. The WaPo saying the same. And on CNN John Kerry is calling for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end.

Weight of Glory on January 28, 2011 at 7:19 PM

Anyone else find it surreal that the only person in this administration with half a clue on this issue is Biden?

Ok, seems like a narrative is beginning to form. A Brookings institute fellow is on FOX News saying that we should be seeking for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end. The WaPo saying the same. And on CNN John Kerry is calling for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end.

Ok, seems like a narrative is beginning to form. A Brookings institute fellow is on FOX News saying that we should be seeking for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end. The WaPo saying the same. And on CNN John Kerry is calling for the Mubarak “dynasty” to end.

Was that John Kerry on CNN or did his wax museum replica suddenly learn to talk- lay off the plastic surgery dumbass.
Also- what does it say about Fox that I’ve watched CNN today to see what was going on.

Rather than calling on an intransigent ruler to implement “reforms,” the administration should be attempting to prepare for the peaceful implementation of the opposition platform. It should be reaching out to Mr. ElBaradei – who Friday was reported to be under house arrest – and other mainstream opposition leaders. And it should be telling the Egyptian army, with no qualification, that the violent suppression of the uprising will rupture its relationship with the United States.

Nothing to worry about. Plan another vacation, Zero ! It’s not like Mubarak’s neighbor is Quadaffi or anything….

/s

I agree with CK. Mubarak is no saint but compared to most of the Muzzy region leadership Egypt has remained fairly stable and comparatively tourism-safe. In that part of the world it should be expected that visitors accept the YOYO concept of world travel (You’re On Your Own).

I don’t trust El Baradei at all. He has been less than helpful to the west on Iran’s nuclear issues. It seems a little suspicious to me that the Washington Post is pretty much calling for El Baradei to head some sort of transition government.

Also- what does it say about Fox that I’ve watched CNN today to see what was going on.
jjshaka on January 28, 2011 at 7:29 PM

It’s pretty much a given that CNN does a better job on breaking international news than Fox, which is curious as Sky News ,Fox’s UK sister network ,always does excellent coverage of these type stories.

A little advice: GO LONG ON OIL FUTURES. With Obama publicly voting present but helping the opposition behind the scenes or, at best, sending muddled messages, only continued turmoil is guaranteed.

✪

TXUS on January 28, 2011 at 6:51 PM

I have wondered this afternoon if some of the news was hyped because a few people with influence in the MSM had investing in oil futures then sold and shorted just before news that things were not as bad as publicized.

So Drudge is putting up WikiLeaks info coming from the UK Guardian that says since 2008 our government has been working with dissidents in Egypt to take down Mubarak and the ‘stache is on Levin’s show and says he hasn’t decided yet if he’ll run for President. *sigh* We need adults in the WH. This is not good. Bolton says it not the Jeffersonian Democracy vs. Mubarak it’s The Muslim Brotherhood vs. Mubarak.

I think Fox has a serious problem by being too wedded to their “stars”.
This whole thing today should have pushed all the Sheppie Smith , Cavuto ,BOR and Greta types off to the side.
At least tap the SkyNews feed every other hour- they look like provincials fools.

Since 1952. Nassar was military. Egypt has been stable (well for ME) for over 50 years.

Egypt will not “explode” and will not “advance” either. Agree with an earlier commenter: wait a few months. Mubarak will call election and step down. An Army Officer will be “anointed”. Muslim Brotherhood is back to terrorism. SOS

Owing to that US aid, the Egyptian military today makes the military Israel barely defeated in 1973 look like a gang of cavemen. Egypt has nearly 300 F-16s. Its main battle tank is the M1A1 which it produces in Egypt. Its navy is largest in the region. Its army is twice the size of the IDF. Its air defense force constitutes a massive threat to the IAF.

And of course, the ballistic missiles and chemical weapons it has purchased from the likes of North Korea and China give it a significant stand-off mass destruction capability.

Sorry if I’m stating the obvious, but this has Soros signature all over it. And if all the prog’s in the gov’t are behind the uprising (when they weren’t behind the Iranian protestors) that tells me that something bad is afoot. I hope we make it to 2012.

Yep, to be a fly on the wall in Mubarak’s office after he hangs up the phone with Bammie. Bammie probably told him he’d send him an ipod with all his speeches on it if he would make peace with the protesters.

I don’t trust El Baradei at all. He has been less than helpful to the west on Iran’s nuclear issues. It seems a little suspicious to me that the Washington Post is pretty much calling for El Baradei to head some sort of transition government.

KickandSwimMom on January 28, 2011 at 7:35 PM

The Muslim Brotherhood will swallow him up like the minnow he is, after he has served in a figurehead capacity for a bit. The final transition made will be one not to our liking in the end. I’m listening to pundits opine that the Egytian people don’t want the MB, which is probably irrelevant. Egypt is too big a prize for the fundies not to pull out all the stops.

Charles Krauthammer on Fox with Bret Baier made the case for sticking with Mubarak, and made it quite well. He recognized that it is a tight line, and that the Pres. walked it well in his pc.
Weight of Glory on January 28, 2011 at 7:24 PM

Yeah, I thought that was uncharacteristically good move on The O’s part until the show was over and I read stories that his administration has been working behind the scenes to topple Mubarak. Never let the possibility to create a crisis go to waste!

If Mubarak falls, Egypt will be headed by the Muslim Brotherhood…Gaza by Hamas…Lebanon by Hezbollah…Rumblings in Jordan…and the obamanation is backing the Muslim Brotherhood. He and the dinner jacket guy must be best buds…

I screamed when I saw the msnbc video b/c we drive by Combined Tactical Systems from time to time. I grabbed the notebook to show Mr. PPF the video; Mr. PPF said “oh, that’s funny!”

I was watching AJ internet feed and was getting upset. Then they interviewed “Hey John, why the long face?” Kerry and he could not have been any more clueless.

So because of them darn tear gas cans, all over Egypt US is to blame for their 30-year crap. So I went on to Twitter and lashed out. They say Americans’ democracy is a hypocrisy because we stand for liberty and freedom, but only for some; not for all.

I also tweeted that it was fine with me that they do protest and be free from their government, but they cannot just jump to anarchy. They’re not thinking things through and someone worse will come in, and then I don’t want the US there at all. Egyptians despise us already.

Generalizing is wrong and whatever human rights problems they have had, we had no knowledge.

I haven’t really followed this situation that closely, but we can all see why having a STRONG president is so important with this.

You don’t need to be a f’in genius, ok? You need strength.
That’s all you need.

I would guess that most of the protesters are basically like chickens with their heads cut off right about now.
They are/will be looking for a strong hand to guide them.
It doesn’t matter where the hand comes from.

The gigantic vacuum of strength from the WH in these type of situations is where Obama REALLY fails.
Hope and Change, huh? Yeah, right.
We can make fun of him all we want and God knows he completely deserves it, but in life and death situations like this there NEEDS to be a good guiding voice.
We simply don’t have one now.

People on the left talk about not meddling. They obvously don’t understand this stuff. Obama “meddled” in Iran and he has already spoken up today in favor of the gov’t in power. It’s already done. So, are they defending his “meddling” today?

Sigh. The world can change in real ways and there’s nobody in the drivers seat right now.

Hillary might be more forceful towards the leadership, but it’s not likely. She believes the same stuff Obama believes.

I didn’t really hear what she said, but I always get the feeling watching her that she really wants to say “take this bozo out of here and let ME handle this!”

Obama talks about concrete steps for reform, that really is pathetic.

Just like with Iran he just.wants.this.to.GO.A.WAY. He admitted back in 08 that he doesn’t know the first thing about foreign policy. Then the genius (Biden) says the dictator ain’t one.
Remember, people Palin is the Moron, ok? Remember that.

These people –Iran, Egypt, the list will grow I’m sure– picked the wrong f’ing time to rise up. That’s really all there is to it. They are p!ssed and Obama doesn’t care.

I’m not sure about this, but it seems rare to me that multiple countries will have people rising up so quickly as we have nowadays. Rare amazing opportunities and they are being wasted with the idiots in DC.

Hosni may be a mean B@$tard, maybe even an evil B@$tard, but he has done more to keep the region from erupting into flames… Maybe into radioactive flames… Than every US President, every UN peace commission, in the last 60 years, all put together.

Anyone who lives in the civilized world better hope that Mubarak can hold on, with no more than a few concessions to either the ‘basically decent’citizens who just want a little more freedom and a little more opportunity to make a little more money, and those that want to make it into j strict jihadist theocracy.

Well Hosni’s time might be over soon.
They clearly seem to want him gone. So, what if he holds on?

Drudge points out this country has been quietly helping the uprising.

Mubarak is the best thing we got going over there huh?
Tell that to the people today. Are they going to just calm down if Mubarak throws them a bone? OR will they keep seething like Iran has?
What about more countries rising up?

These people asking and demanding something from Obama…little do they know how he doesn’t give a damn.
I was just watching some video on Greta and I see almost no women at all in those crowds.

If the men are that mad, imagine how soul deadened the women are. And this is under a “workable” dictator.

Just listened to the entire statement, and came away thinking, “HUH???”

The boy president said, “When I was in Cairo…” Since he’s so willing to give country-running advice to people who have been in power for more than half his life, I guess you could say this whole thing is OBAMA’S fault.

Whatever happened to minding our own business regarding the business of other sovereign states? Now we find ourselves interfering -not in covertly undermining a dangerous enemy (like Iran) buy undermining an ally -a friend? Where are the mob protests that regularly screamed against the CIA?

Who woke Obama up to inform him that there was a real world going on outside of the business of taking down America?

El Baradei spent too much time in Iran looking for but never finding their nuclear stash to be looked at as a democratic type leader.
Biden was told not to call foreign leaders a dictator so he wouldn’t call Mubarak one. He’s a good little veep.
Dear Leader wants to get out on the campaign trail and talk about all his accomplishments. He wants a crisis here not over there.
AlZawahiri is licking his chops. He is an Egyptian and the Muslim Brotherhood will co opt this revolt.
Our gas prices will necessarily skyrocket when radicals take over Egypt and the Suez Canal since we can’t drill or refine our own oil.
We better rethink purchasing the Volt while uncle is still giving out a tax incentive.

Anyone else find it strangely convenient that as gas prices increase due to this Egyptian situation, GM (and others) are poised to flood the market with green cars like the Volt? I know it sounds tinny but this situation (and per Drudge O’s tacit approval of it) fits nicely into Obama’s implicit strategy to increase energy prices (e.g. gulf-drilling ban, C&T).

Anyone else remember someone from Isreal stating that someone from O’s admin (immediately post-inaug.) instructed them to “not get in the way” as they planned to “change the world”. Also, I remember someone from the ME stating that once Obama had taken care of his domestic agenda he planned to “deal with Isreal”. Sounds like the ultimate conspiracy theory but I sometimes coincidence is just a bit too – coincidental.